


as if the cold winds became warm

by lunarwing



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, kinda short. but sweet. i just... want them to talk about some things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26487322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarwing/pseuds/lunarwing
Summary: They had spoken at the same time, and their reactions came at the same time, as well: surprised staring at one another.Aerith and Tifa apologize to one another in the Third Ward.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough & Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 4
Kudos: 45





	as if the cold winds became warm

The steel of Hojo’s lab is cold and unwelcoming and serves his disarming tests well, especially when they’ve been separated from the rest of the group. Still, Tifa is not entirely uncomfortable or afraid; she can defend herself, sure, but more importantly, she has Aerith with her. 

They haven’t known each other for very long - this is the first time they’ve spent time together, just the two of them. Of course, Tifa would much rather it was back in a comforting place, like Seventh Heaven (which, with a deep sigh she struggles to keep in, she reminds herself is gone) or Elmyra’s house, rather than a place like _this_ , a deeply discomforting place that Aerith obviously has unsettling memories of. It disheartens Tifa even more, to imagine what it must be like to be back in a place you have such unpleasant memories of. If she was back in the Nibelheim reactor, maybe even just back home… The thought is enough to make her stomach churn and lurch. 

Still, even with all that hangs over their heads, spending time with Aerith, without the influence of their other friends, is nice. Aerith is much more mysterious than Tifa first thought, and it’s clear that there is still much she hasn’t divulged into. Whatever it is doesn’t matter, though, because what Tifa knows is that Aerith’s unfailingly compassionate, trustworthy, and kind. She has an aura about her - one that draws people in very easily. It’s clear to see why she could even befriend someone like Cloud, of all people. (In some ways, this makes her think of Jessie, and she can’t help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought that Aerith will never meet the other woman. Tifa thinks that they would have gotten along very well.)

“Are you alright?” Aerith asks from beside her, slowing her pace down to be able to walk in tune with the other woman. Tifa had been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn’t even realized she had slowed her pace down.

“Oh, I’m fine! Just…” 

“Thinking?” Aerith prompted, just a bit teasingly, to which Tifa couldn’t help but smile at.

“Exactly. Sorry, I know we’re supposed to be more alert, especially in a place like this,” Tifa responded, with a sigh that she couldn’t keep in this time.

“It’s okay,” Aerith started, gently knocking Tifa’s shoulder with her own, “I’m not going to get upset with you. I’m not _Cloud_.”

That served to get a laugh out of Tifa, which seemed to brighten the mood, if only by a little.

“Maybe… we should take a break?” she asked. In spite of her joking, Aerith was actually concerned about what direction Tifa’s thoughts had taken. There was a dark cloud over Tifa, something obviously weighing very heavily on her. Given what had happened with Sector 7 only just recently, Aerith knew it was a given that the other woman wasn’t exactly feeling very spirited. And, as it happened, she wasn’t the only one feeling that way… Aerith was starting to feel that she needed that break as much as Tifa did.

“No, we don’t have to. We need to get you out of here. The guys are waiting for us to finish up here, too.” Though they had just poked fun at it, Cloud’s ethics did have value in this moment: being distracted was going to be extremely disadvantageous to them, and besides, getting out was pressing for a variety of reasons - in particular, Tifa felt that Aerith had been here long enough. 

_In fact, if she could go back and change it..._

Though Tifa had said they should get moving again, she didn’t resume walking. Aerith tilted her head in concerned confusion, any assurances that they could take time to stop dying in her throat as her eyes gravitated towards the way Tifa pulled at her gloves, a clear worried reaction to whatever she was thinking about. 

“Aerith, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, Tifa.”

They had spoken at the same time, and their reactions came at the same time, as well: surprised staring at one another. Aerith cracked a small, sort-of there smile, while Tifa’s expression didn’t move past the surprised “ _what_?” she clearly wanted to voice.

She had no idea what the other woman could possibly be sorry for. But there had been guilt pressing down on her chest like a heavy weight, since before Sector 7 had even fallen. It felt almost selfish, to prioritize it over assuring Aerith she had no reason to apologize, but Tifa desperately needed her to know how genuinely terrible she felt about what had happened since then. 

“Me first?” she prompted, and when Aerith nodded to show her acknowledgement, Tifa let out another sigh, this one feeling a strange mix of both anxious and relieved, before she started to speak:

“I’m sorry. I can only imagine what it's like, for you to be back in a place like this,” Tifa clenched her hands into fists, nervous and trying to shove her own unpleasant memories away, “I took advantage of you and your kindness by asking you to save Marlene. That should have been my job, and now we’re here. It’s all my fault.”

“Tifa–” Aerith’s voice went unnoticed by the other woman, still caught up in trying to make sure her apology sounded as sincere as she felt.

“I don’t know how I can make it up to you, but once we get out of here, I’ll–”

“Hey, Tifa!” This time, as Aerith had raised her voice, Tifa heard her. She looked up at Aerith from where her line of sight had fallen onto the floor somewhere during everything, and the other woman’s look was concerned and slightly perplexed.

Gently, Aerith unclenched Tifa’s fists, but didn’t let go when she had finished. In fact, she held the other woman’s hands as firmly as she held her gaze, which had now morphed into something a bit more gentle - still confused and concerned, but softer, now that Tifa was making eye contact with her again.

“Listen to me, okay?” she prompted, with a gentle squeeze to the other woman’s hands, “None of this is your fault. You didn’t take advantage of me. I would have helped you defend your home no matter if you asked me to or not, and you know that.” There was a moment of lightness, Aerith referencing her own stubbornness and how Tifa had picked up on and accepted it about her much easier than Cloud had. (Tifa felt it had been difficult not to find it exceedingly charming, but that was beside the point.)

“And anyway, I’m sorry, too. I was trying to cheer you up in the sewers, and I think all I did was make it worse for you when we actually got out. I don’t know how you’re even here, saving me. I’m nowhere near as brave as you,” Aerith’s grip on Tifa’s hands seemed to waver for a moment, before it came back full force. This time, though, Tifa’s grip was the stronger one. 

“You don’t need to apologize for that,” she started, “And I think you’re braver than you think, anyway. You saved Marlene, and then chose to come back here.”

“She’s important to you, and now, to me, too. I would do it again without having to think about it.” Aerith’s voice sounded more confident than it had in the past few minutes. It was clear that she wanted to get through to Tifa, this time without words, that she didn’t blame her for anything. 

“Then I think that makes you braver than me.” This time, it was Tifa who lightened the mood, tone much softer and lighter than her previous apologies and assurances as she gave Aerith a bright smile. It was the happiest that she had looked since the group had found Aerith. Aerith let go of Tifa’s hands, and then, to Tifa’s surprise, wrapped her arms gently around the other woman. 

“I don’t think that’s possible,” she said, putting her face into Tifa’s shoulder as she returned the hug. Aerith’s grip was surprisingly tight for a girl who looked the way she did. It felt as if Aerith was almost clinging onto her, desperate for a physical lifeline. Given where they were, it wasn’t surprising. This was definitely affecting the Aerith more than she wanted to let on. In response to the revelation, Tifa ran her hand down the other woman’s back soothingly for a moment, trying to give her a moment’s respite. Though she knew Aerith wouldn’t have to feel this way anymore if they got out of here faster, she said nothing. It was important to her that she let Aerith take the time she needed, since Aerith had done the same for her.

When she finally pulled away, Tifa locked their gazes and said, “Let’s get out of here.”

Aerith smiled back before both women started to turn around and continue into the lengthy hallways of the lab, now with a stronger confidence that they would be able to push through whatever got in their way, as long as they were together.

**Author's Note:**

> its crazy to me that we live in a world where aerti is like... now actually really popular. moving forward, i hope we will be respectful of each girl's respective traumas and treat them seriously! i simply wanted to acknowledge aerith's more than the game had, and let tifa let out to aerith the guilt she had been feeling regarding her... as well as have both of them just act as a lifeline for one another given that they had been through so much in the past like 72 hours during this part of the game, lol. also i'm gay
> 
> the title comes from "camellia" by pentagon, one of my favorite songs :)  
> ty to sandy for reading this over for me and letting me know it was okay to post! i hope everyone else enjoyed, thank you for reading!


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